Monday, May 16, 2016

Below is a list of upcoming nature trips by local birding/conservation groups for the weekend of Saturday, May 21, 2016 to Sunday, May 22, 2016:

Audubon Center in Prospect ParkSaturday, May 21, 2016, 12pm – 1pmIntroduction to Bird Watching
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Take a tour and learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home. Led by Brooklyn Bird Club.

Eastern Long Island Audubon SocietySunday, May 22, 2016 at 7:30amNorth Fork County Park
Leader: Eileen Schwinn (516) 662-7751
Located on the north side of Sound Ave. in Jamesport (Clearly marked with a sign, “North Fork Preserve”, follow the long, paved driveway to the former hunting lodge parking area), we will visit vernal ponds, meadows and wooded areas. Each day is different in this relatively new Town of Riverhead/Suffolk County Parkland, but we have the opportunity to see visiting migrants and nesting warblers, raptors, and thrushes. Dress for ticks, however, we will be on mowed paths for most of the walk.

Saturday, May 21, 2016, 6:30pm to 8:30pmThe Full Flower Moon and Woodcock Walk
Enjoy a legendary Jamaica Bay sunset and then watch the full flower moon rise over the park. If conditions are right, we may witness the elaborate courtship display ritual of the elusive American woodcock.
Location: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
Fee Information: Free
Contact Phone Number: 718-318-4340

Sunday, May, 22, 2016, 9:00am to 12:00pmHorseshoe Crab Walk
Meet at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge visitor center and carpool to a nearby shoreline site to see the horseshoe crabs come ashore to mate and lay eggs. Hundreds of shorebirds will join us on the beach.
Leaders: Mickey Maxwell Cohen & Don Riepe. Call 718-474-0896; E-mail donriepe@gmail.com to make reservations.
An American Littoral Society, NYC Audubon and Gateway NRA parternship program
Fee Information: FREE

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Great South Bay Audubon SocietySaturday and Sunday, May 21 - 22, 7:00amSterling Forest and Bashakill
Leaders: John Gluth (631-827-0120), Ken Thompson (631-612-8028)
From Tappan Zee Bridge, take I-87 to Sloatsburg exit 15A, take the exit for Rte 72 (Sterling Mine Rd.), 1- mile up Rte 17. Continue west on Rte 72 for 3 Miles until you reach Rte 84, Long Meadow Rd. Continue up long Meadow Rd to Sterling Lake Rd (4 Mi). Turn left there and continue to Park Visitors Center parking lot on Old Forge Rd. Overnight at Wurtsboro Days Inn (845-888-8727).

New York City Audubon SocietySaturday, May 21-Saturday, May 28Puffins, Warblers, and Lobster Boats: The Enchanting Coast of Maine
Guide: Gabriel Willow
Come along with NYC Audubon and explore Maine's “Country of the Pointed Firs”: land of lighthouses, quaint villages, and lobster pounds... all nestled in a setting of primeval pine forests, bogs, and bucolic islands. Home to some of the East’s last true wilderness, Maine hosts populations of Atlantic puffin, bear, moose, shorebirds, and dozens of warbler species. This land of forests and rocky coast has been an inspiration to artists and naturalists for generations.

We’ll begin our exploration by spending three days on the mainland coast, visiting the salt marshes and beaches to the south before heading to the beautiful fishing village of Camden. From there we will explore nearby hills, meadows, and marshes in search of elusive rails, upland sandpiper and Nelson’s and vesper sparrow. Following our exploration of the mainland, we’ll spend four days on enchanting Monhegan Island—a scene of inspiration for artists including Edward Hopper and the Wyeth family. Birders flock here as well: Seeing 30 warbler species in one day is not uncommon, and many rarities appear here. We will stay at the historic Monhegan House Inn, where meals will include a lobster dinner. Finally, we’ll travel to a puffin nesting colony. While on the water, we'll keep our eyes open for whales and porpoises. $1,950 ($595 single supplement)Click here to register
For questions regarding the details of this trip, contact Gabriel Willow at gwillow@nycaudubon.org or 718-757-0782

Saturday, May 21, 2016, 8:30-11amSpring Migrants at Inwood Hill Park, Manhattan
Guide: Annie Barry
Meet at the entrance to Inwood Hill Park at the corner of Isham Street and Seaman Avenue. Join Annie Barry for a hike through a mature forest in search of kinglets, warblers, flycatchers, sparrows, Baltimore orioles, and other migrants and residents. We will then move to the shores of the last natural saltmarsh in Manhattan to search for herons and ducks and explore Muscota Marsh, a recently restored habitat within the park. Some hilly walking required. Limited to 15. $36 (25)Click here to register

Saturdays, May 7-July 30, 8-9:30amVan Cortlandt Bird Walks, The Bronx
Guides: NYC Audubon, Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy with the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy
Meet at Van Cortlandt Nature Center. The history of birding and Van Cortlandt Park are inseparable. Influential birders such as Roger Tory Peterson and Allan D. Cruickshank got their starts on Van Cortlandt’s ecologically diverse grounds. These walks celebrate the tradition set forth by these great ornithologists. Participants will look for various species of residents and migrants and discuss a wide range of avian topics. For more information, please call 212-691-7483. No registration necessary. No limit. Free

Saturdays, April 30–May 28, 10-11amBirding Basics For Families: The Ramble, Central Park
Guides: NYC Audubon, Conservancy Discovery Guides
Offered by the Central Park Conservancy
Meet at the Belvedere Castle (inside the Park, mid-Park just north of the 79th Street transverse). Experience Central Park’s precious bird habitat and migration hot spot with Conservancy Discovery Guides and NYC Audubon. Witness firsthand how the Conservancy’s work has made the Park a sanctuary for birds. Binoculars available. Free: pre-registration is recommended as space is limited. Ages 5+. Families only: maximum of three children per parent or guardian; no groups For weather cancellation updates and pre-registration information, call 212-772-0288.

Saturday, May 21, 2016, 5-8pmJamaica Bay Sunset Cruise
With American Littoral Society and Gateway NRA
Meet at pier 4 in Sheepshead Bay to board the 100’ boat “Golden Sunshine”. Learn about the Bay and its history, management and ecology. See egrets, herons, ibis, terns, laughing gulls, osprey, peregrine falcons, and shorebirds. This narrated tour of the bay’s backwater marshes includes wine and cheese, fruit, drinks, and snacks. For information and reservations call Don Riepe at (718) 474-0896 or e-mail donriepe@gmail.com. $55

Sunday, May 22, 2016, 9am-noonHorseshoe Crabs and Red Knots
Guides: Mickey Cohen, Don Riepe
With American Littoral Society and Gateway NRA
Meet at the Jamaica Bay Refuge visitor center and carpool to a nearby site in Broad Channel to see the annual spring mating ritual of the ancient Horseshoe Crab. Look for endangered red knots, ruddy turnstones, and other shorebirds feeding on the eggs. Children welcome! For reservations, call Don Riepe at (718) 474-0896 or e-mail: donriepe@gmail.com. Free

Saturdays April 9, May 7, June 4, and Sundays April 24 and May 22, 9-10amQueens Botanical Garden Bird Walks
Guide: NYC Audubon
With the Queens Botanical Garden
Register for one or the series of five free nature walks in partnership with the New York City Audubon Society! The tours will introduce visitors to the feathered friends of the Garden like warblers, blue jays and robins as well as our favorite, the red-tailed hawk! Spot these creatures of flight, and learn about how QBG offers valuable resources for birds and other wildlife in the region. Binoculars available. Limited to 25. Appropriate for all ages. Free with Garden admission. To register, email info@queensbotanical.org or visit www.queensbotanical.org/calendar

Sundays, May 1–May 29, 10-11amBirding Basics for Families: North Woods, Central Park
Guides: NYC Audubon, Conservancy Discovery Guides
Offered by the Central Park Conservancy
Meet at the Dana Discovery Center (inside the Park at 110th Street between Fifth and Lenox Avenues). Experience Central Park’s precious bird habitat and migration hot spot with Conservancy Discovery Guides and NYC Audubon. Witness firsthand how the Conservancy’s work has made the Park a sanctuary for birds. Binoculars available. Limited to 20. Age 5 and up. Free: pre-registration is recommended as space is limited. Ages 5+. Families only: maximum of three children per parent or guardian; no groups. For weather cancellation updates and pre-registration information, call 212-860-1370

Walks are for beginners and experienced birders alike.
Weather permitting, walks start at 9:30am unless indicated.
Please note: all phone numbers are area code 516 unless otherwise indicated. In most cases, the contacts are also leaders for the respective walks. We would like to encourage carpooling, where possible.

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Protectors of Pine Oak WoodsSaturday, May 21, 2016 @ 10:00am – 2:00pmForest Restoration Workshop – High Rock Park
Cost: Free
Contact: Don Reckless 718-768-9036, Chuck Perry 718-667-1393
Meet in the Nevada Avenue parking lot of High Rock (200 Nevada Avenue) to take part in It’s My Park Day with other park volunteers. In this, our 236th monthly workshop, we will remove invasive plants and plant native trees and shrubs within the loop of the road leading to the restrooms and administration buildings. If you don’t have your own, Protectors will supply gloves and pruners. If the work is done before 2:00, we will take a short walk over nearby trails. For more information contact Don Recklies at 718-768-9036 or Chuck Perry at 718-667-1393.

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Queens County Bird ClubSaturday, May 21, 2016 – Sunday, May 22, 2016Doodl-ing Bash!
Leader: Arie Gilbert - 917-693-7178
Meet: 7:30am at Doodletown Click here for link to flyer
This perennially excellent trip has been expanded to provide for an even richer species diversity. This weekend trip features Doodletown, Sterling Forest, Bashakill Marsh, and Shawangunk NWR and environs.

Introduction to Bird Watching at Audubon Center at the Boathouse (in Prospect Park), Brooklyn
12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Look! Up in the sky, it’s a bird! But what kind of bird is it? Take a tour and learn about the magnificent array of birds that call Prospect Park home.
Free!

Sunday, May 22, 2016Birding: Hawk Watch at Parking Area (in High Rock Park), Staten Island
9:00 a.m.–10:30 a.m.
Our Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle.
Free!

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Wild Bird FundSaturday, May 21, 2016 @ 9:00am - 11:00amTake a Walk on the Wild Side
Cost: $15
Join us with WBF member, artist and birder, Alan Messer for a deep spring bird walk into Central Park for warblers, catbirds, vireos, and late migrant sparrows and finches. This time of year brings the flycatcher family including those difficult to ID of the genus Empidonax. Be ready to haggle! Saturday May 21 – Rain Date Sunday May 22 $10 members / $15 non-members Reservations required: events@wildbirdfund.org